NHL trade grade: Capitals acquire Anthony Mantha from Red Wings

Credit the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings for making the most interesting deadline deal I’ve seen in a long time. 

The 2021 NHL trade deadline will be remembered for several things. Certainly Sunday night’s madness of Taylor Hall, Jeff Carter, Nick Foligno, and David Rittich will stand out. But the trade that could ultimately define the deadline was announced after the deadline. The Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings made a darn interesting trade.

Going to the Capitals is forward Anthony Mantha, one of the NHL’s most underrated forwards. Heading to Motor City is quite the haul, led by 2014 first-round pick Jakub Vrana.

Additionally, Richard Panik is heading to the Wings, along with a 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 second-round pick.

Quite honestly, this is a fascinating trade. It makes sense for both sides and I could honestly see either team emerging as the clear winner. So let’s take a look at the trade from both sides!

Washington Capitals

Jakub Vrana has been in the doghouse as of late in Washington, so it’s not completely surprising to see the Capitals move on from him. Vrana is extremely gifted on offense, but has struggled to be consistent and has defensive issues.

Yes, head coach Peter Laviolette was probably a bit harsh on him, but let’s face it, three head coaches have given him approximately the same treatment. One of those coaches, Barry Trotz, won the Stanley Cup.

The second round pick can be seen as a sweetener for Panik’s contract. Panik has a $2.75 million cap hit and has two more years on his deal after this one. Vrana will be a restricted free agent after this season and is due a fairly substantial raise.

Speaking of the raise, that’s a reason why this trade makes sense for the Capitals. Mantha gives the Caps cost certainty at a time when they need it. Alex Ovechkin is rightfully going to demand the sun, the moon, and the stars for his next deal when his contract expires after this season. And the Capitals are rightfully going to give it to him.

Mantha has three more years left on his deal after this one with a $5.7 million cap hit. Vrana was likely coming at a similar, if not higher, cap hit. And with Vrana not getting along with Laviolette, the Caps probably decided to move on.

Short-term, this makes the Capitals a better team. And honestly, that’s what matters. The Caps are trying to maximize their current core. They probably overpaid. Fine, they definitely overpaid. But it makes them better now.

Grade: B

Detroit Red Wings

Credit to the Red Wings, they got a massive haul for Mantha. This trade is a masterpiece from Steve Yzerman, who has accumulated a warchest of draft picks for the Red Wings rebuild. Vrana is the center piece. He has the offensive talent to be a super star. In Detroit, he’ll get a fresh start and hopefully more playing time.

Panik is a useful player who should, at worst, keep spots in the lineup warm for their young players. He doesn’t bring much to the table on offense, but defensively, he is very sound. If there’s anything to hate about this trade, the 2021 draft is going to be a total crapshoot, so a first-round pick doesn’t have quite as much value as it usually does. But if you’re a Red Wings fan, it’s very hard to hate this trade.

Grade: A